Nintendo Co Ltd will drop the price of its popular Wii game system from 249 U.S. dollars to 199 dollars, starting this Sunday, according to U.S. media reports Wednesday.
The Kyoto-based company made the decision just after Microsoft and Sony's reductions last month of their game systems.
The console makers have been urged to cut prices as video game sales dropped for five consecutive months starting in March. Sony's best-selling PlayStation 3 now sells for 299 dollars (down from 399 dollars), while Microsoft's high-end Xbox 360 model sells for 299 dollars (down from 399 dollars).
The Wii, released in November 2006, has been the top seller in this generation of video game systems, according to media reports, adding the new $199.99 Wii will include the Wii Remote controller, Nunchuk controller and Wii Sports software.
Consumers have bought more than 21 million Wii systems, comparing with about 16 million Microsoft Xbox 360s and more than 8 million Sony PlayStation 3s, said a report by USA Today.
But, since the first quarter of 2009, Wii sales have dropped by more than 50 percent.
Jesse Divnich, from the Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, said the price cut will help Nintendo "maintain its position as the leading hardware platform in monthly sales over the short to medium term."
Source:Xinhua/Agencies
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